Psimet2001 

With the HHH over it's time to start thinking about the Dairyland Dare. I finally pulled the trigger and registered for the 200K.

Event website: https://www.dairylanddare.com/index.asp

Previous thread on DD: https://www.bikeforums.net/great-lakes/273246-dairyland-dare-august-11-sign-up-starts-3-7-a.html

Special thanks to CyLowe for introducing me to this and the HHH, and aham for showing me that I am a tremendous wussy for not riding the HHH 200K.

....let the suffering commence.....

CyLowe97

I'm in. With a crowded summer schedule, I'm not sure how I'm going to train besides getting miles in my legs, but I've got some unsettled business with the 200k route. Like about 50k worth of unfinished business. I can't wait to get out there again!

Here's a link to some reports from last year's Dare.

shider

So it looks like most of the hills are about 400'. Does anyone know the slope on these? Do you think I could handle them with a 39-21? I'm kinda jealous of all the HHH reports. I wonder what's the biggest gear my 1991 ultegra shortcage could handle. Maybe I should steal the compact off my wife's new bike. (Bad idea! ) Maybe throw a triple on there...

CyLowe97

shider, 39x21 would be unwise.

While the Dare doesn't have anything as imposing as the climb up to Blue Mound in the HHH, the route is full of steep hills that sap the legs and there is not a lot of area to recover.

What I recall was that it seemed to roll more and I found myself stopping at tops of the hills to recover my breath a bit before descending because I could see the next hill ahead and that the descent would not be enough time to drop my heartrate. This after finding out that winding it out on the downhill to coast up the next hill was usually folly on my part.

The second loop of the 200k just seems to go on and on (or at least it did to me). I was kind of out there on my own for a lot of it because of a wrong turn (note to self: pay attention to map and not the people in front of you).

In any case, you could do it, but I'd recommend a 39x21 only if I was your orthopedic surgeon.

CastIron

Oh hell no.

s.peterson

Although I would like to, I will not be able to make it. Having come up just short on the HHH (107 miles), I would love to complete the 200 k at the DD. However it is my parents 50th wedding aniversary get together that weekend up in northern wisconsin, so I will be drinking beer and thinking of all the hills you guys are climing. Good luck

recursive

Unleashed the fury.





Oh, and don't attempt DD or HHH with a 39x21 low gear. You've been warned.

aham23

and if the HHH is over, why am i still suffering?

later.

CyLowe97

Did you do a slow recovery ride on Sunday?

I rode 31 miles on Sunday and felt WAY better when I finished that than when I hopped on the bike. A planned one hour recovery turned into a 2.5 hour meandering ride at like 12 mph. It was most excellent.

BTW, when you going to drop the bike off to get the compact installed?

shider, aham did the HHH with 39x27 low end. He can climb like a mountain goat, but he was torquing the hell out of the bike on a few climbs to get to the top. That's our fault for telling him he would have no problem with that combo. Just work on the engine, right aham??

Psimet2001 

"You don't need a compact, just work on the engine, just work on the engine...yeah thanks a lot guys!" - Aham23 at then end of the 2007 HHH....


- Shider you know I can't climb, but I would not attempt this without at least a compact. I rode with a compact and a 12-27 and I honestly could have used 1 tiny bit lower gear. A triple would have rocked for the last climb.

aham23

^^^^ ice bath saturday night. message sunday. i actually feel pretty good. i still hear you laughing though??

i likely will not be riding until wednesday. stupid work.

yeah, work on the engine, but buy the campact just in case.

iab

Think 4x Valley Hill Rd in Bull Valley (the last hill at the 1st Annual BFNIC Spring Classic). That hill has a gain of only 100' and I would say the grade is similar.

s.peterson

I had been planning on doing the HHH with a compact 50-34 and a 12-25 cassette until I went out there and did my first training ride. Granted I am a clydesdale at 6' 2" and 200#, but that was not enough gearing for me. I swapped out my cassette for a 13-29, and was happy to have it.

Psimet2001 

At the HHH the gearing I had I found I was climbing my slowest pace at around 5.5mph. The blue Mounds climb was something like 2.5 miles(?) give or take. So I don't like to think of it as feet of elevation gain as much as a 1/2 hour climb....

Thankfully there won't be that on this ride. Makes me happy just thinking about it.

Frunkin

Reading the HHH reports really makes me want to do the dairyland dare. Looks like fun in a kind of a sick how long can I go without dying things. I would definately get some longer rides under my belf first though

aham23

i hit my lap button on the edge near the start of that last climb. actually about a 1/4 mile early, but the numbers were; 3.45 - 25 minutes - 900 feet of climbing. later.

iab

For me it was probably closer to 3.5 miles, I used the WHOLE road zig-zagging to the top. I have a 53/39, no compact or triple, and would have gone the way of Lance the *********** and given my left nut for a triple at the end of the day. As I said though, I had to walk after the Ranger station and I was out of breath walking. Thank heavens there is a couple hundred feet of flat before the finish and I could "ride" across the line.

The double D looks to be more short, intense hills like Barlow and Pinnacle. I have never been on those roads so I don't know for sure.

jbmadtown

This is true- the toughest climbs on the DD are a lot like Barlow and Pinnacle. Having now done the 100K route for both events I think the HHH is a bit harder because of the longer climbs, but the DD just keeps coming at you with rolling hills. That said I may just try the 200K for the DD.

Psimet2001 

Funny thing is that I really don't remember Barlow or Pinnacle at all....Everyone kept talking about them, but I seriously don't remember them. I must have blocked them out. I remember one that was a pretty good climb with no air moving, and stupid steep at the end.....that must have been one of them.

iab

Barlow is the first climb out of Festige Park rest stop. Pinnacle is the first climb after the Hwy K rest stop (for the 100K riders).

recursive

I believe barlow is the steepest grade on the course, so my money is on that one.

shider

My questions were largely in jest. The logical thing for me to do is to strip down my commuter bike (2007 Trek Portland) of all the lights/rack/fenders etc and ride it. It has a 50/39/30 triple with a 12/27 10sp. It's only downside is its a little heavy. Sounds like fun though, I'll have to see if I can fit it into my schedule.

Psimet2001 

I'm with you....I think you lost everyone else right when you said that, but I totally understand....

nietsmas

so if i wanted to do this ride, can i get by with just buying a different rear cassette? i have a 12-23 currently. i'm a noob with this kind of stuff.

dave342

I'm in. Just got done registering for the 200K. CyLowe97, Psimet2001, Kenal0, and others are we going to ride together or is it every man for themselves. Or since I crashed this past weekend in Grafton nobody will ride with me then. Hey I guess eight racers went down from what I heard and I was the last one to go down. I could not get out of the way. Well at least I didn't cause the darn thing. Well I have to get a12-27 cog set now.